[Pitpig]

Hello all New to the forum. I have a mid nineties 2wd 300 fourtrax in OD green. It is nearly in new condition. Everything it original except the tires ( dry rotted). Very few hours of operation.
My problem, grandson was riding it the other day. Slowly I’m sure because he wasn’t real sure of himself. Anyway, claims he down shifted, heard a clink and the wheeler was dead in the water ( so to speak). Failed to move at all in any gear.
They towed it home. Still in gear. Did a little research and all thing point to the one way bearing. Kick starter did nothing. Took side cover off and started looking at things. “Now” the kick starter will turn engine over. Took centrifugal clutch apart. “Everything “ looks like new. One way bearing the same. In first gear , applying the rear brake , I can turn the flywheel by hand and almost pull out of the brake. Took change clutch apart, the same. All new condition. Oil was clean. No metal flakes or any debris in the case. Oil pick up screen was clean. Have a new gasket and filter coming later today. At a loss of what else to look for.
Any insight would be appreciated.

 

[Goober]

Good questions. Not sure I completely understand...
With the brakes locked and tranny in low gear, you can still turn the flywheel? That sounds like a loose flywheel/sheared woodruff key on the flywheel except you said the kick starter wouldn’t rotate the engine with the side case/stator off of it?

Before you attempt to kick it, you must flick the decomp lever up each time you attempt a kick start

 

[shadetree]

your on the wrong side of the motor. sounds to me the shifting shaft side busted the return spring ? very common on this model. if thats not it ?, you should be inspecting the drive line at the output shaft back towards the rear differential.

 

[Goober]

your on the wrong side of the motor. sounds to me the shifting shaft side busted the return spring ? very common on this model. if thats not it ?, you should be inspecting the drive line at the output shaft back towards the rear differential.

Oh yeah i think i get it now.

I’ve had two shifter lever return springs break on me and both quads were stuck between neutral and reverse.

 

[shadetree]

your on the wrong side of the motor. sounds to me the shifting shaft side busted the return spring ? very common on this model. if thats not it ?, you should be inspecting the drive line at the output shaft back towards the rear differential.

Oh yeah i think i get it now.

I’ve had two shifter lever return springs break on me and both quads were stuck between neutral and reverse.

yep..you nailed it ^^^^ ! .

 

[shadetree]

leave the clutch side open for now, chances are..when you pull the left side cover, your going to pull the shifting shaft out of the lower end, which will be a pain to get lined up for the clutch side. sooooooo..for now, leave the clutch side open until your done working on the left side.

 

[Pitpig]

Motor would crank and run once I got it in neutral. Put it in gear (1st) and it would not move. No bad noises
I pulled the right side cover.
By turning the flywheel by hand with the brake locked I figured I eliminated the transmission and drive train of being broken.
The kick starter turned nothing before I pulled the cover.
After , it turned the crank.
Not a total newb. 30 year heavy equipment mechanic.
Only explanation I can think of ( highly unlikely) is the one way bearing was stuck released. Personally can’t see it happening.

 

[shadetree]

Motor would crank and run once I got it in neutral. Put it in gear (1st) and it would not move. No bad noises
I pulled the right side cover.
By turning the flywheel by hand with the brake locked I figured I eliminated the transmission and drive train of being broken.
The kick starter turned nothing before I pulled the cover.
After , it turned the crank.
Not a total newb. 30 year heavy equipment mechanic.
Only explanation I can think of ( highly unlikely) is the one way bearing was stuck released. Personally can’t see it happening.

chances are, the one-way centrifugal clutch bearing is going out, very common over age.

 

[Pitpig]

Ok guys, didn’t replace anything but the gasket. Put it all back together, filled it with oil and fired it up. Road it easy at first. Ran through all the gears several times. Then rode the crap out of it. Never missed a kick. Plenty of engine braking.
Gonna chalk it up to “one of those things”.
Thanks for all the replies.

 

[retro]

Maybe it had car oil in it? Or worse, a mechanic-ina-can slick-oil-teflon additive..? Make sure the motor oil you put in it is certified JASO MA (or MA2) for use with motors containing wet clutches. If you suspect that it had the wrong oil in it you should change it and add 2 ounces of Seafoam fuel treatment to the JASO MA oil change... run it for about an hour to 1.5 hours straight, then drain & change the oil and filter again. The 2 ounce treatment of Seaform in the oil will remove the friction modifiers from the clutches. Do not put Seafoam in the oil more than once... excessive use can make the paper friction linings in the clutch stick and chatter.

 

[LedFTed]

Do not put Seafoam in the oil more than once... excessive use can make the paper friction linings in the clutch stick and chatter.
1st. time i ever heard that @retro ..

 

[retro]

Seafoam is a solvent that is compatible with motor oil LedFTed, its just being used as a tool in this example. It makes the frictions behave as if they are dry when the tool is abused. Might be useful in drag racing and getting holeshot wheelies though... for a while.

 

[LedFTed]

i ran slick-50, in the 55 once. 55 didnt have an emergency brake, got rusted out. after that, i had trouble parking on hill's without curbs. while in gear, it would still roll, in whatever downhill direction there was. it kinda makes me think it had other negative attributes. :smile